Have We Lowered Our Morality Expectations For Politicians In America?

The blog that I recently wrote about Anthony Weiner resulted in a lot of commentary on Facebook and Vibrant Nation. I thought about everyone’s comments and wanted to throw a few more thoughts out there .

The reactions were very mixed and included some readers not caring what Weiner does in his private life to others who didn’t feel that he deserved to hold a public office.

What bothered me after reading all the comments was, “What if this had been a school teacher, a fireman, a member of our armed forces or G-d forbid a Rabbi or Minister? Would the public be so forgiving? The internet is filled with stories of teachers who have lost their jobs because they did something that school officials and/or parents considered inappropriate. Do we hold them to a higher standard than our politicians? A Naval Commander lost his job for showing raunchy comedy videos. Should he have apologized and been forgiven?

I feel like we as a nation have lowered our expectations of our politicians. Is it acceptable to go on television and lie to the American public like Clinton and Weiner did and then expect for the American public to forgive and forget when they get caught and come clean? Personally, I have a problem trusting someone who lies to millions of people.

I think part of the problem is that many Americans have become very disillusioned with the whole political system and just don’t think their input can make a difference. Or if they do speak up in a public forum, they are immediately criticized and retreat thinking, “No-one cares what I think so why bother expressing my opinion.” Only the brave survive!

I believe that right now with the way things are in this country APATHY may be our biggest challenge.

I appreciate those of you who read my thoughts and take the time to comment. I may not agree with everything you have to say but I have the utmost respect for you for caring enough to voice your opinion.

3 Comments

Madelyn
on June 14, 2011 at 12:48 am

I do have thoughts on this, Debi…

Personally, I do NOT hold school teachers, fire fighters, or any others to a higher standard than I do politicians. In fact, I think it’s a travesty when teachers get “caught” participating in LEGAL forms of alternative sexuality on their own time (such as belonging to swingers clubs), and then get fired for it.

I think some of this has to do with what people consider to be morally wrong. I don’t think it’s wrong to take naked photos of oneself and send them in flirtation– as long as the recipient is appreciative and not being harassed. Some people DO think taking naked photos of oneself is immoral, and I really don’t know why.

Some believe it’s immoral to flirt with others when one is married. Some believe non-monogamy is immoral. But many, many Americans disagree, including me. A growing number of Americans are exploring alternatives to traditional, monogamous marriage. I believe that, as long as all parties are honest with each other and proceed with respect and care (no coercion or abuse), our relationship choices must be respected. That is our right as free people.

Another right we have, is to allow our private lives to remain private. I believe it is UNETHICAL to grab a picture of someone’s crotch, which was intended for private use, and then BROADCAST it for all the world to see. The person who did something unethical in this case, is BREITBART, who made it his business to publicly humiliate Weiner.

There are big ASSUMPTIONS made in the media: that Weiner was completely hiding these flirtations from his wife; that his wife was humiliated by her husband’s behavior; and that their marriage is a traditionally monogamous one with no-outside-flirtations-allowed. These are assumptions I don’t tend to make. If I were interviewing Anthony and Huma myself, my first questions would be about the ground rules of their relationship. I’d ask Huma specifically, “How DO you feel about Anthony’s actions?” rather than assuming I know the answer.

Do I think ethics are important? YES, ABSOLUTELY. In EVERY profession, it’s necessary to uphold a standard of ethics. Including politics. But I just don’t believe that monogamy is a sign of one’s good character. It’s only a relationship choice, no more virtuous than any other.

Debidrecksler
on June 14, 2011 at 3:08 am

Your reply was very well written and you bring up some very interesting points.

As someone much older than you, (35 years of marriage) I must tell you that when you have a good solid relationship, there is something very special about sharing intimacy with only one person. You can share your wants, needs and even fantasies with your partner and be VERY satisfied. With STD’s at an all time high, I would worry about any person looking outside of marriage for stimulation.
The only thing that you did not address was Weiner’s lying to the American public. Once his flirtations were exposed, I think he should have told the truth. I think his political aspirations outweighed his common sense.

Madelyn
on June 14, 2011 at 11:13 am

I agree that Weiner lost all perspective and common sense when he spent time lying and dithering in the public eye. He should’ve been smart enough to realize that the truth would come out, and he’d look like a big fool.

However, regardless of how ridiculous he made himself look, I do believe it’s *anyone’s* right to lie, to try to protect their privacy when it has been needlessly, **unjustly** violated. If someone circulates a picture of your private parts for all the world to see, I believe you’re entitled to deny that it’s a picture of you!

I don’t believe that anyone, no matter how famous, owes the public an explanation of their legal, consensual, intimate relationships.